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Princess Diana’s former hairdresser has condemned ‘evil’ and nasty’ comments made about the Princess of Wales’s new blonde hairstyle.
Kate, 43, made her return to her official duties yesterday after enjoying a summer holiday that reportedly included a family yacht excursion in Greece. She came back with notably brighter hair.
Despite some negative comments from online critics regarding her new hairstyle, respected stylist Sam McKnight, aged 70, responded through Instagram. He expressed being ‘shocked, horrified, dismayed and disgusted’ by the backlash.
‘A woman’s hair is very personal to her,’ he wrote. ‘It’s armor, defence, confidence and so much more.’
The stylist, who previously worked with the late mother of Princes William and Harry, elaborated: ‘I am astounded by the cruelty and lack of empathy in these comments, mostly from women, targeting a young woman who is already in a vulnerable position. Due to her marriage and the responsibilities she has assumed, she must courageously face public scrutiny.’
‘I’m sure she would prefer to avoid the public gaze. Nonetheless, she has effectively and selflessly served as a representative of our nation, embodying the soft influence we possess as a country.’
Reflecting on Kate’s health journey, which she discussed publicly in March 2024, he added: ‘Cancer affects people in various ways and fundamentally alters lives for everyone involved.’
‘So FFS LEAVE HER LONE. SHAME ON YOU.’
Kate, 43, returned to duties after a summer break, which reportedly included a yacht trip to Greece, debuting remarkably brighter locks
Despite the negative online reactions to the royal’s fresh appearance, renowned stylist Sam McKnight voiced his dismay through Instagram, sharing with followers that he felt ‘shocked, horrified, dismayed and disgusted’ by the comments.
Sam has been a heavyweight in the hairdressing world for decades, and has spoken about his time with the late Diana before.
‘She didn’t have a huge entourage but during the seven years I was with her, our trips abroad included visiting Mother Teresa in India and refugee camps on the Afghan border, which was really harrowing,’ he told Vogue in 2022. ‘I’d never experienced anything like that before.’
He recounted how the pair began working with one another after a shoot in 1990 – where he styled the Princess’s hair to make it look short in pictures.
The bold new style prompted her to ask Sam what she should do with her locks – to which he replied: ‘I told her I’d cut it off, make it short and start again.
‘It was the era of Linda Evangelista’s crop and all of the supermodels. We were moving away from the big puffy sleeves and into a much more streamlined, power business woman. It took us a couple of years to get there with her, but we got there in the end.’
Sam cut Diana’s hair short for the Vogue cover shoot, shot by Patrick Demarchelier, and the resulting black-and-white photograph is now one of the most iconic photos of the royal ever taken.
It showed the princess sitting on the floor of the studio and beaming up at the camera, dressed in a strapless satin gown with a string of pearls around her neck and a tiara in her hair.
Sam’s statement about Kate comes as the Princess of Wales looked stunning as she joined her husband Prince William on a visit to the Natural History Museum in London.
Celebrity hairstylist Sam first met Diana in 1990 when he was hired for a Vogue photoshoot to style a mystery celebrity – who turned out to be the princess
Sam has been a heavyweight in the hairdressing world for decades, and has spoken about his time with the late Diana before
The mother-of-three, 43, who studied art history at university and has been patron of the attraction since 2013, was seen with her lighter locks this afternoon.
The Prince of Wales also showed a hint of tan during their day out in the capital following their traditional break, which was this year said to include a trip on their superyacht to Kefalonia, sailing around the Greek islands.
Kate looked stylish in a fitted tweed ‘Hacket’ blazer from Ralph Lauren, paired with a white shirt, smart dark green tailored trousers and £199 tassel loafers from Pretty Ballerinas.
Alongside gentle waves in her hair, the princess opted for a natural sweep of make-up and added her £495 alphabet necklace from Daniella Draper – which features the initials of her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis – as well as Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring and £850 Kiki McDonough pear drop earrings.
The couple dodged downpours as they kicked off their own ‘autumn term’ and visited the site’s newly transformed gardens, meeting children and young people taking part in learning programmes.
As they arrived at the venue, the supportive Prince was seen placing a hand on his wife’s back, making for a sweet display of affection.
The princess appeared firmly in her element as she laughed with school pupils as it began to pour with rain during their time in the gardens – even sweetly helping one child to shelter under her umbrella.
Kate has spoken at length about how getting back to nature has helped with her cancer recovery.
The Princess appears to have undergone a hair transformation in recent months, after first debuting her blonder locks in April
The Princess of Wales joined her husband Prince William to visit the Natural History Museum in London as they returned to duties after their summer break
Arriving at the museum, Catherine, who previously visited in 2021, said to Dr Sandy Knapp: ‘Sorry it’s been such a long time for me to come back.’
The party posed for photos on the steps to the museum before greeting visitors queuing up to get inside – and Catherine even gave one over-eager youngster a high-five.
They were set to join children taking part in ‘pond dipping’ searching for newts and toads at the Nature Discovery Garden.
But seconds after the primary school children from Kender Primary School, New Cross, south London, arrived to join the royal visitors they were soaked in a massive and sudden downpour.
Catherine and William shared their umbrellas before calling off the outside activity and ushered the children into the dry at the nearby Nature Activity Centre.
The princess led several children while William helped control the rear as the youngsters splashed in puddles as they tried to keep out of the rain.
Beverley Brown, 44, assistant headteacher at Kender Primary School, said: ‘We had been waiting for the session to start and the children were very excited. As we started to move it started to pour and we didn’t know what to do.
‘Prince William gallantly held an umbrella over an adult and children. Princess Kate was in amongst us and said ‘let them go in’ and ‘let’s take them inside, it’s pouring’.’
The Princess appeared firmly in her element despite the rain shower, as she was seen laughing amid the delighted children
As they arrived at the venue, the supportive Prince was seen placing a hand on his wife’s back, making for a sweet display of affection
At one point, the Princess was seen smiling as she took shelter from the rain under a black umbrella
Kate, 43, showed off her newly blonde locks, while both royals appeared to be sporting a tan
All had to dry off inside the activity centre before the royals took part in a workshop helping the children identify animals encased in blocks and find their regular habitat.
Asked by a teacher for their findings, Catherine said the children in her group ‘decided spiders are everywhere.’
William rested his arm on one teacher’s damp shoulders and said: ‘Are you wet? We got you inside in time.’
Speaking afterwards, Ms Brown added: ‘It was an amazing experience for children talking to them non stop about mini beasts. Prince William was laughing as some of the children were using them like jenga blocks.
‘Lots of our families live in quite crowded housing and don’t have access to gardens so to experience all of this at the Natural History Museum is very important for the children.
‘We have received a National Education Nature Park Department of Environment grant for £10,000 for our own pond.’
Catherine, who had visible rain marks on her green blazer jacket, also joined William learning from pupils and teachers at the Co-op Academy, in Manchester.
The school has been creating new habitats on their school grounds through the National Education Nature Park programme.
Both the Prince and Princess of Wales have repeatedly championed environmental causes over the years
The princess looked as stylish as ever in a tweed blazer from Ralph Lauren
William meanwhile seemed to have a holiday tan as he opted for a smart-casual suit
The princess appears to have dyed her hair a few shades lighter – and has spent a summer outdoors
Catherine Princess of Wales visits The Natural History Museum’s newly transformed gardens (left). Pictured with brunette locks at Wimbledon in July (right)
They also take part in classes aimed at connect with nature and help boost biodiversity in urban areas.
Sitting down in the activity centre, Catherine said: ‘Sorry we are a bit wet. It was nice and dry and then suddenly within seconds, it was such a lovely day.’
William laughed as he added: ‘But it’s nature, in amongst nature.’
The school has created a vertical garden which has dramatically cooled temperature in a classroom which used to be unbearably warm
William asked about other ‘dream’ plans the school has which could involve garden on roofs or and less tarmac around the site.
Three of the pupils told William they wanted to work as marine biologists.
The Prince told them there were still many unknown mysteries of the deep and added: ‘You three could be the first ones to bring back crazy cool research from down at the bottom.’
Speaking afterwards Noah, 14, said he was surprised at how ‘informal’ the visit was.
The Prince and Princess of Wales met with school pupils during their visit to the garden and Kate sweetly helped one child shelter under her umbrella as it started to pour with rain
The Princess of Wales expertly dealt with the sudden downpour and remained in cheery spirits
The Princess dealt with a classic British downpour after spending her summer holidays in the sun
They were shown how cutting-edge technology is being used around the garden to inform the Museum’s conservation and research biodiversity projects.
A network of sensors collects environmental data and, together with environmental DNA data, build a picture of life in the gardens, making them one of the most intensively studied urban sites of its kind globally and a testbed for conservation science innovation.
The trailblazing education programme, led by the Museum working with the RHS and commissioned by the Department for Education, has seen more than 7,500 schools, colleges and nurseries getting involved so far, and is inspiring action in young people by developing their connection with nature.
The gardens and National Education Nature Park programme are part of the Natural History Museum’s ambitious Urban Nature Movement, an initiative which aims to help people feel more connected to nature and more confident in their ability to protect it.
It’s a cause clearly close to the hearts of the Prince and Princess of Wales, as Kate is currently spearheading her ‘Mother Nature’ project to highlight humanity’s connection to the natural world, while William’s annual Earthshot Prize has reaffirmed the couple’s commitment to tackle the world’s biggest climate challenges.
The Princess has spoken in depth about how she turned to nature as a source of comfort and solace during her cancer diagnosis last year, even calling it her ‘sanctuary’ in a video released in May to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Kate said at the time: ‘Over the past year, nature has been my sanctuary.
‘The natural world’s capacity to inspire us, to nurture us and help us heal and grow is boundless and has been understood for generations.
The royal couple have marked their first joint engagement since returning from their summer break
They were given a tour of the newly renovated gardens at the Natural History Museum
The couple met with children and young people taking part in learning programmes which see them connecting with nature and boosting biodiversity
After the downpours outside, the prince and princess looked relieved to be sheltered from the rain
Kate and William are both passionate about promoting the benefits of spending time in nature and tackling climate challenges
‘It is through nature, that we can fully understand the true interconnectedness of all things, the importance of balance and the importance of renewal and resilience. Connecting to nature helps us to experience a deeper sense of ourselves, the world around us, and each other.’
In a follow-up video titled ‘Summer’ released last month, Kate again released a personal message about her connection with nature.
She said: ‘Our lives flourish when we cherish the bonds of love and friendship. It has never been more important to appreciate the value of one another, and of Mother Nature. Here’s to Summer. C’.
In 2019, Her Royal Highness launched the ‘Back to Nature’ garden at the Chelsea Flower Show to spotlight the power of nature in enriching early childhood development. The Princess has also had a longtime relationship with the Scouts which focuses on enabling children and young people to experience the outdoors and natural world.
The gardens first opened in July 2024 and are intended to serve as a ‘living laboratory’, where visitors and scientists can monitor wildlife in an urban environment.
Since then, they have welcomed more than five million visitors – and hope the space will encourage young people to take positive action for nature and spend more time in nature through hands-on activities.
According to the museum, visitors have reported feelings of enhanced wellbeing after spending time in the gardens.
In 2021, The Princess spent time at the Museum while they were in the early stages of development for the Urban Nature Project – hearing how work was underway to transform the Natural History Museum gardens into a cutting-edge research centre and outdoor classrooms.
The year before, she visited the attraction once again and said it was ‘wonderful to be back’ at the reopened museum.
In a video clip, she explained: ‘It’s so wonderful to be back at the re-opened Natural History Museum where we can all enjoy it’s treasures once again.
‘I’m here because tomorrow night, I’m announcing the 56th Wildlife Photographer of the Year.’
South Kensington’s museum district – usually a tourist and school holiday hotspot in London – had been closed for months during the coronavirus lockdown.
